Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University bowling team was honored for its work in the classroom Tuesday by being named a 2023-24 National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-Academic Scholar Team. In addition, a total of six Dukes were named NTCA All-Academic Scholar-Athletes.
To be eligible for NTCA All-Academic Scholar Team honors, programs must maintain a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher and remain active members of the NTCA. Duquesne posted a 3.302 GPA as a team during the 2023-24 academic year.
Individually, named an NTCA All-Academic Scholar-Athlete for 2023-24 are graduate student
Kiearra Saldi, seniors
Brenna Gleim and
Shannon Small, junior
Ranelle Ulanday, sophomore
Emma Siekierski and freshman
Maribeth Baker.
Student-athletes that maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher throughout the academic year garner NTCA All-Academic Scholar-Athlete accolades. For the 2023-24 season, the NTCA recognized 374 scholar-athletes from 75 different NCAA programs.
Saldi, the
2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Bowler of the Year as well as the
2024 NEC Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year, posted a cumulative GPA of 3.90 in pursuing a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering.
Gleim graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in Early Childhood Education (PreK-4) while maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA, while Small is pursuing a degree in pharmacy and has posted a 3.36 cumulative GPA. Ulanday, a chemistry major, owns a 3.75 GPA, while Siekierski is an athletic training major who has posted a 3.71 GPA. Baker, the 2024 NEC Rookie of the Year, concluded her first year on the Bluff with a 3.81 GPA as a digital media arts major.
Led by head coach
Jody Fetterhoff, the 2024 NEC Coach of the Year, Duquesne finished with an overall record of 71-36 (.664) during the 2023-24 campaign, including a mark of 17-4 (.810) in conference play. In addition to establishing a new program record for wins, the Dukes claimed their second consecutive, and first outright, NEC regular-season championship.
Duquesne made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Championship, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. The Dukes concluded the year ranked 10th in the final 2023-24 NTCA Coaches Poll, their second time finishing a season ranked in the top 10.
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